Means of storing motor vehicles



Nov. 26, 1935. H. K. WHEELER 2,022,167

MEANS OF STORING MOTOR VEHICLES Filed 001;. 51, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 5 5 4 15 3 2v E' J I 4 I 3 INVENTOR.

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Nov. 26, 1935.

- H. K. WHEELER 2,022,167

MEANS OF STORING MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Oct. 51, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 26, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,022,167 MEANS OF STORING oron VEHICLES Holman K. Wheeler, Newton Center, Mass., as-

signor to Mechanical Transfer Car Corporation, St. Johnsbury, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application ctober31, 1930, Serial No. 492,524

1 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to the storing of vehicles in buildings and is an improvement in the system using transfer cars as described in my copending patent applications Serial No. 322,024,

5 filed November 26, 1928, patented February 21, 1933, Patent No. 1,898,107; Serial No. 351,853 filed April 2, 1929, patented November 15, 1932, Patent No. 1,887,667; Serial No. 492,525 filed October 31, 1930, patented December 12, 1933 Patent No.

The present invention more particularly relates to the combination of single transfer cars in groups and the operation of these cars in units by a single power source.

In the present invention the units are so combined and supported that any number of individual cars may be used with equal ease in manipulation and operation.

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the following descriptions to be Figure 6 shows a top view of the detail shown.

in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows a modification of the invention. Figure 8 shows a side view of the modification shown in Figure '7. Figure 9 shows a detail of the modification.

Figure 10 shows in detail the method of join- 40 ing adjacent channels to the single truck.

In Figure 1 the multiple transfer car I is constructed in a manner similar to the car shown in my application No. 492,525 filed Oct. 31, 1930. It comprises a number of parallel channel elements.

45 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 1, joined together by cross rods or cross channels 8, 9, and II] respectively. Each channel is supported by trucks I2, I2, respectively, which are preferably bolted to the sides of the channel. It should be noted that the chan- 50 nels 3 and 4 have a single truck I3, I3 which is bolted on one side to the channel 3 and on the other side to the channel 4. Any size multiple car may be obtained by joining together as many single element cars as-desired by means of the 55 trucks I3 as indicated in Figure 10. The cars are disposed to run laterally on tracks I4 and I5 being driven by endless chain I5 which is attached by the clamp I1 to one side of the channel 1. The endless chain I6 passes about a sprocket IB- which is mounted in a bearing set in the floor 5 I 9 as shown more clearly in Figure 4. The other end of the chain passes about a sprocket wheel 24 which is driven from a wall motor 29 as shown in Figure 2. The wall motor 20 drives the shaft 2| through a reduction gear 22. As shown in 10 Figures 5 and 6 the shaft 2 I sets at its lower end in a bearing 23 fixed in the floor I9. The sprocket 24 is pinned to the shaft 2| and is rotated by it. In order to adjust for the slack on the chain I6, the sprocket I8 is mounted in an adjustable bear- 15 ing element 25 which is adapted to move between guides 26. The bearing 25 is positioned betweenthe guides 26 by means of the screw 21 working in the cross element 28 joining the guides 25. By turning the screw 21 by means of the nut 29, 20 the bearing 25 is set in the desired position. A helical spring is provided between the nut 29 and the bearing 25 to allow the bearing to yieldingly hold when an undue strain is applied. As indicated in Figure 4 the screw 21 has a stud 3! 25 projecting into the bearing 25. It should also be noted that the guides 26 and the cross element 28 are all integral with the base 32.

In the modification shown in Figures '1 and 8, the motor is mounted on the transfer car itself, 30 the car in this case consisting of channels 10 and 1| having end flaps 12. The car is similar to the car described in Figure 1 with the exception that it is provided with a motor 13 mounted on cross rods 14 and 15 extending between the channels 18 and 1|. The motor 13 drives through the reduction gear 16 and the chains 11 and 18, the shafts 19 and 80 respectively. The wheels 8|, 82, 83 and 84 are driven by the'shaits 19 and 80 and drive the car laterally along the tracks 85 and 86. At the side of the support 90, attached by the brackets 9| to the channel 1 I, there is mounted a vertical support 81 supported diagonally by the brackets 88 and 89 to the guard 90. The conductor to the motor 13 passes through the vertical support 81 to the top end from which it goes to the spring drum 92 shown in Figure 9 mounted from the ceiling 93 over one end of the track. The conductor, if the stretch is long, mayrest upon supporting brackets 94 at suitable intervals from the ceiling. The spring drum has preferably a spring whose tension may be regulated and which is geared to the shaft 95 of the drum. The support 81 has mounted thereon a forward and reversing switch 98 which has a long handle 91 which may be operated from the drivers seat in the car. In the operation of the system the driver drives his car on the transfer car in which case he is in such a position that the switch 9! is adjacent the drivers window of the car. The operator then throws the switch handle 91 either to the right or the left causing the power car to move in the desired direction.

Having now described my invention, I claim:-

1. A device for transferring motor or other vehicles laterally to their usual motion, comprising a plurality of pairs of channels on which said vehicles rest, said channels of adjacent pairs being positioned parallel in adjacent pairs, a plurality of common supporting means for channels, each said means including a wheel mounted therein positioned between said channels and perpendicular thereto, and means mounted on the exterior side of said channels, said means also having wheels mounted therein and positioned perpendicular to said channels.

2. A device for transferring motor or other vehicles laterally to their usual motion comprising a plurality of pairs of channels, a plurality of trucks having individual wheels attached at both'sides of said channels, the adjacent chan nels of adjacent pairs having common trucks.

3. A device for transferring motor or other 5 vehicles laterally to their usual motion comprising a plurality of channels, means connecting the channels in pairs, a plurality of trucks, means for fixing said trucks at opposite sides to channels of adjacent pairs, and further means for supporting said channels at the inside thereof, said means and trucks being provided with wheels positioned lateral to said channels.

4. A device for transferring motor or other vehicles laterally to their usual motion compris- 15 ing a plurality of channels, means connecting said channels together in separate pairs, means including wheels positioned laterally of said channels attached at the inner sides thereof and means including wheels attachable at the ex- 20 terior sides thereof, said means joining adjacent pairs of channels.

HOLMAN K. WHEELER. 

